After being dormant one hundred millennia, the Epoloch system bustled with Covenant reinforcements, the wreck of UNSC Forward Unto Dawn, and Humanity's new flagship, UNSC Infinity. The First Battle of Requiem commenced as the zealous Covenant swarmed into the newly opened Shield World in pursuit of one of their most powerful deities: the Ur-Didact. UNSC Infinity arrived at Epoloch, following a set of coordinates found on Installation 03. Infinity was grounded on the planet, where it encountered the bulk of the Storm Fleet and the Promethean constructs. Meanwhile, the Ur-Didact was awoken inadvertently by the Master Chief and used the Combat Cryptum, his long-time prison, to wreak havoc on UNSC forces before leaving Requiem in his flagship, Mantle's Approach. John-117 followed in hot pursuit while Infinity escaped the world and returned to Earth. Six months later the warship returned with a complement of ten frigates to retake Requiem. A vicious campaign ensued at high cost to both sides. The Covenant lost a staggering amount of their ground forces, although Infinity's complement was completely annihilated during a space battle. Ultimately the Covenant would find what they sought: the ancilla of The Librarian, who presented two halves of the powerful Janus Key to Dr. Halsey. At this point Jul 'Mdama activated one of Requiem's fail-safes, slowly dragging the world into Epoloch, attempting to destroy Infinity. Infinity would narrowly avoid destruction, although Requiem was consumed in the overwhelming heat of the star. Its destruction triggered yet another fail-safe: the supernova of Epoloch itself. The star destabilized at an artificially enhanced speed and was destroyed.